So that tension headache from yesterday was just the prelude to getting sick. I spent the day sniffling, coughing, and trying to work. But Light the World cannot be delayed, not even a day, so here we go.

Jesus taught:

“Honour thy father and mother.”
—Matthew 15:4

Let me just tell you a little about my parents: They’re the best people I know. They serve others and each other. They work hard. They love everybody. I’ve learned some of life’s most valuable lessons because of what my parent’s have taught me.

I learned about work ethic. My dad grew up super poor and one summer he lived on garden-grown cucumbers and bread in order to buy my mother a wedding ring. He worked at a number of awful jobs to put himself through school and support a family until he could become a dentist.

I learned about patience. My mother raised 10 children out in the country. She sewed clothes, gardened, canned food, and helped raise us. She read to us. My love of books comes from my memories of reading with my mother as a child. The way she managed to bring up 6 rowdy boys and 4 emotional girls with continued love and charity has always been a shining example to me.

Together, my parents have grown into the perfect whole, complementing each other. I’ve written about them before and what they have taught me about marriage and love. They might not be perfect, but they’re perfectly imperfect. They’re loving. I could not have survived those teenage years of depression without them.

How to Honor Your Parents:

• Be patient. I’m my parents tech expert and it can be frustrating to try to teach them the ins and outs of technology. But I remember that if they could raise me in patience, I can surely help them learn how to Google without pulling out my hair.
• Send a card or call. Life’s busy, and it can be easy to push your parents to the back of your mind and priorities, especially if you have a family of your own demanding attention. Just a short call can make them feel remembered.
• Get together as often as possible. Whether it’s a family reunion, holiday, or dinner together, be together. They’ll not always be there.
• Remember their anniversary.
• Do genealogy. Honoring your parents isn’t just about your immediate parents, but your parent’s parents, parent’s parent’s parents, and so forth. Learning about your ancestors brings your family alive in ways you can’t even realize. If it wasn’t for my Great grandfather going on an LDS mission to England, I might not even be here. He met his wife there.

What do you do to honor your parents? Living well and honorably can be the best gift to them. Family is the most important institution in this world and the breakdown of the family is the most dangerous thing for humanity. Keep those ties strong. Real happiness comes as we tether ourselves to our loved ones (whether through blood or choice).

Choose Joy.

—A